The think-tank or the brainpower who are sitting in the management of public sector banks should learn a lesson from Shah Rukh Khan.

Yes, if Shah Rukh Khan can use the “Rajni” word (in his “Lungi dance” song) to promote his Chennai Express, why can’t public banks in India use young, talented, and capable employees to improve their pathetic customer service?

And this criticism is not a new thing for these banks. Despite this, I wonder why any constructive action has not yet been taken by the (exceptionally talented) management of these banks or even by the governors at the Reserve Bank of India? The image of these public sector banks really looks bleak.

Is it because of the bureaucracy or political red tapism? Whatever the reasons, people at large have fed up with these banks, their extensive paperwork, and their slow working culture. And on top of it, PSU banks’ staff frequently goes on strike for their wage revision and other demands.

In my recent visit to one of the branches of Syndicate Bank, even the bank’s staff ridiculed a potential customer and said, “Do you find only this bank to open your account? Go and get your account opened in some other bank. We are already short of staff and are working overtime. No person is willing to join our bank also.”

But I was (kind of) shocked to check the Net Profit figure of Syndicate Bank (see the table below). While the profit of other banks dipped tremendously, this bank showed an increased profit in its books. If the bank is making profit, then why can’t they invest in improving the effectiveness and potential of its manpower? Continuing with the existing level of customer service, I wonder if their profit figure will remain steady in the near future.

If you see the Net Profit figures of other PSU banks, one can conclude that (leaving other reasons aside for now) these banks are paying the prize of their bad, ineffective, and painful customer service.

S. No.

BANK NAME

Net Profit (Q2 FY’13) {July-Aug-Sept 2012}

Net Profit (Q2 FY’14) {July-Aug-Sept 2013}

1

Syndicate Bank

463 crore

470 crore

2

Indian Bank

496 crore

306 crore

3

Punjab National Bank

1066 crore

505 crore

4

Canara Bank

660.97 crore

625.94 crore

5

Punjab & Sind Bank

11707 crore

4296 crore

And I am sure that we all have one or more painful stories related to the performance of such public banks. Do share those stories here.

Is there no way that the public can force these banks to improve their customer service? Do we have to eventually move our account(s) to Private Banks from these banks for want of good service? Is this what the Central Government also wants through its policy of encouraging more private players/banks?

NOTE: The Net Profit figures in the above table are taken from the respective banks’ Website.

Upon knowing India’s rank as the second-most populous country in the world, a boy asked his mother on why we are still not a developed or a strong nation. Below is the scenario explained in the form of a poem:

Many places in India are facing a big shortage of milk. With more demand and less supply, adulteration is bound to happen. And during peak festival season, when the demand for sweets soar high, shopkeepers take this as their prestige to supply the required quantity of sweets to the needy consumers.

They add chemicals to make Khoya (a natural additive obtained from milk that lends thickness and solidity to sweets) which they then use to make mithais (Indian sweets).

And what is the result? So many people have died because of consuming urea-mixed sweets, and still many people are suffering.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, India is now the largest dairy producer and largest cattle producer in the world. If this is the case then where are our cows?

It may sound weird to you but the height of your children is directly correlated to their and their neighbourhood’s access to toilets. To add to your surprise: Children in India are shorter, on average, than children in Africa, even though people are poorer, on average, in Africa. The reason behind this irony is More

My Inspiration

What is your opinion?

Quote of the Week # 22

As a child you've been told, ‘You’re no good, you’re no good, you’re no good!’ And we think we are no good! This is not the ancient culture. This is not the path of spirituality. The path of spirituality has always inspired you; it has always said, ‘You are great, you are part of the Divinity, you are love, you are beauty, you are truth!' This knowledge needs to be instilled in people, rather than saying, ‘You are hopeless, you are no good. You are a sinner, and you are good for nothing.’

Whenever you feel, ‘Oh, I can’t do it', then you can’t do it at all. But when you say, ‘I can get over this, I can do it’, then that energy, the courage, enthusiasm, zeal, and everything comes. If you are a smoker and you say, ‘I cannot but smoke’, hey, come on, get up and say, ‘No, I will not touch cigarettes’, and then see what happens. Similarly, if you’re suffering from bulimia and you say, ‘Oh, I’m so weak. I can’t do anything!’ Come on! Wake up! You are not weak.

The spiritual path instills confidence. You’re in the right place. But don’t be in a hurry. If you want to walk ten miles, it won’t happen tomorrow. Practice. First walk one mile, then go to two miles, then five miles, and in two to three months, you can walk ten miles.